The invention relates to the provision of a pitching pad device having an artificial surface which can be used outdoors in combination with a conventional pitcher's mound constructed from earthen material to provide an artificial pitching surface. The pitching surface of a natural pitching mound constructed from earthen material requires landscape maintenance and grooming to keep it in a safe condition and in compliance with pitching regulations. The cost and effort required can be justified for major playing fields. However, for parks, practice fields, and other minor playing fields, maintenance and grooming of the pitching mound and surface often goes undone. A deep hole is dug in front of the pitcher's rubber which can become dangerous and result in ankle or foot injury. The eroding of an unkept pitching mound surface causes non-compliance with the specifications established by baseball regulations. Even for major playing fields, the cost and effort required to maintain the pitching mound is inordinate.
Heretofore, numerous devices have been proposed as artificial pitching mounds which consists generally of a raised or concave shell upon which a pitcher stands for pitching. These devices are mainly for indoor use. The primary purpose of the rigid concave shell is to replace the earthen mound used outdoors. Thus, these devices are in the truest sense of the word an artificial pitching mound. While these devices are suitable for limited purposes outdoors, they are not suitable for providing an artificial pitching surface in combination with a natural dirt pitching mound.
Examples of the afore described artificial pitching mounds used in lieu of a natural pitching mound are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,479,028; 3,837,646; and 4,063,729.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a pitching pad device having an artificial pitching surface which can be implanted in a natural pitching mound constructed from earthen material to provide an artificial pitching surface and eliminate the need of expensive landscape maintenance and grooming.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an artificial pitching pad device having a resilient pitching surface which is encapsulated for rigidity and stability so that it is durable and reliable for implantation in the earthen material of a natural pitching mound.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an artificial pitching pad device having a resilient pitching surface which can be used with a conventional pitcher's rubber in such a manner that the pitcher's rubber and the pad device can be anchored in earthen material.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an aritifical pitching pad having a resilient friction pitching surface which is inexpensive, lightweight, and durable, and can be used in outdoor baseball fields and parks with little or no landscape maintenance or grooming, yet a pitching mound surface is provided which is always in a safe condition and within the specifications of baseball regulations.